Heretofore it was known in the automotive field to utilize propane gas or liquid petroleum gas as an alternative to gasoline use in order to provide better economy. Propane tanks and propane vaporizer-reducers in combination with gasoline lock-off valves have been installed in automobiles and trucks, so that in gasoline inefficient use situations, the gasoline is discontinued, and propane gas fed to the carburetor to reduce operating costs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,639, to Cook, it was disclosed to employ a regulated propane valve to feed propane gas through complex piping and controls to different demand sections of the carburetor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,532 to Smith, an apertured plate was disposed in conventional gasoline carburetor to assist in vaporizing droplets for better gasoline-air mixing.
While such prior art techniques saved gasoline consumption, in those systems which sought to utilize propane, the propane utilization was often inefficient and unburned propane would be found in the exhaust gases.
Now there is provided by the present invention a device to control the propane utilization in an internal combustion engine.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide improved propane utilization in an internal combustion engine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device which controls the propane consumption in combination and cooperation with the gasoline consumption in a vehicle internal combustion engine.
It is still another object to provide a device as aforesaid which reduces, if not eliminates, the unburned propane gas in the vehicle exhaust.
It is still another object of present invention to provide a propane feed device which is readily installed in a vehicle as either the sole fuel or as a secondary fuel feed device.
It is still another object of present invention to provide a device which is of practical and relatively inexpensive design and manufacture, which can be readily retro-fitted in vehicles employing conventional fuel feed systems, and yet is safe and practical in use.